. . . beautiful music . . . a rich convoy of textures, moods and emotions . . . Helbig is a master at evoking these with a minimum of notes, relying on the minimalist style of layering repeating patterns, them capping them with a bit of melody. The Fauré Quartett and MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony under conductor Kristjan Järvi are flawless, and there are gorgeous examples of solo violin, cello, piano and celeste playing throughout . . . this is a rich and worthy collection of musical impressions, ideal for moments spent under the summer sun and stars.

All 12 "symphonies" are very accessible; neither an abstract radical technique fest, nor a chameleon of older genres . . . I like these Pocket Symphonies for all they are and all they are not. They are nice, simple, charming and pocket sized . . . this will be a CD I will come back to again.